Carrier for wire garment hangers

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a carrier for wire garment hangers comprising a support including a bearing surface adapted to receive a plurality of garment hanger hooks in side by side relationship and stop means at each end of said bearing surface, a handle, and means movably coupling said handle to said support at a spacing above said bearing surface.

United States Patent [1 Wheeler [451 Apr. 16, 1974 CARRIER FOR WIRE GARMENT HANGERS Raymond Ralph Wheeler, 3378 Nebraska, Longview, Wash. 98632 Filed: on. 24, 1972 Appl. No.: 299,927

Inventor:

US. Cl. 224/45 T, 248/360, 248/308 Int. Cl A45b 3/06 Field of Search 224/45 R, 46 R, 45.14, 224/45.l5, 45 T, 42.46 A, 42.45 A, 42.1 C; 248/360, 308, 205 R, 223

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1971 Robertson 224/45 T 1/1971 Holmes 5/1967 Roscicks 224/45 T ICZ 3,289,985 12/1966 Sheiman 248/308 2,842,329 7/1958 Friedman et a1 248/308 2,555,890 6/1951 Korth 224/46 R 2,557,537 6/1951 Ellison 224/42.45 A

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examinerl(enneth Noland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William Anthony Drucker [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention provides a carrier for wire garment hangers comprising a support including a bearing surface adapted to receive a plurality of garment hanger hooks in side by side relationship and stop means at each end of said bearing surface, a handle, and means movably coupling said handle to said support at a spacing above said bearing surface.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures CARRIER FOR WIRE GARMENT HANGERS This invention relates to the carrying and supporting of conventional wire garment hangers.

The holding of several such hooks by using the fingers is awkward and uncomfortable, particularly if a considerable weight is involved.

The object of the invention is to provide a carrier, for wire garment hangers, which eliminates supporting of the individual hanger hooks on the fingers, so that one or more such hangers may be conveniently and comfortably supported by hand. It is particularly advantageous for those travelers using the carry on garment bags. These bags are usually zippered to enclose the garments, leaving only the several hooks exposed at the top of the bag. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description.

According to the present invention, a carrier for wire garment hangers comprises a support including a bearing surface adapted to receive a plurality of garment hanger hooks in side by side relationship and stop means at each end of said bearing surface, a handle, and means movably coupling said handle to said support at a spacing above said bearing surface.

in a convenient arrangement, the coupling means is rotatable about a first axis, substantially normal to the bearing surface, with respect to the support, and the handle is rotatable about a second axis, substantially at a right angle to said first axis, with respect to the coupling means. This provides flexibility in attachment of the handle to a supporting structure such as a door or hook fixture, and also permits the handle to be stored in a lowered position when not in use.

The device may further comprise an eye loop coupled to the support, and preferably such eye loop is pivotably movable into raised and lowered positions with respect to the support. Such an eye loop may be used, for example, for supporting the carrier on a hook fixture, c.g. in an automobile, or on a nail, screw, or curtain hook.

Means may be provided on the carrier, movable towards and away from the bearing surface, for retaining the or each wire hanger hook on the bearing surface. Such retaining means may be in the form of an internally-threaded locking member engaged on external screw-threading on the coupling means.

The support and its end stop means may be in the form of a saddle, the bearing surface of the saddle being advantageously curved to correspond substantially to the internal peripheral curvature of the conventional hanger hook thereby to facilitate stable seating of the hook on the bearing surface, and eliminate swinging movement in the plane of the hanger.

The coupling means may be a pin rotatably secured at one end in the support, and having an aperture at its other end through which the handle is engaged.

in a preferred embodiment, the support and the end stop means are constituted by a saddle. The coupling means is a pin engaged at one end centrally through the saddle and secured rotatably therein. The pin carries an externally screw-threaded sleeve on which is mounted an internally-threaded wheel movable by rotation towards and away from the bearing surface. The handle is a C-shaped member engaged by one of its ends through an aperture in the other end of the pin. An eye loop is journalled on the end of the C-shaped member by engagement of its arms about said end at each side of the pin. The other end of the C-shaped member is formed as an inturned tip for stable engagement of the C-shaped member over a horizontal structure.

in order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, an embodiment of carrier, for wire garment hangers, in accordance therewith is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the carrier with a hanger hook thereon;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the carrier with a plurality of hanger hooks thereon and seen mounted on a door.

The carrier comprises a C-shaped handle portion 1 made of stiff wire or rod and having at one end an inturned tip 2. At its other end, the handle portion is engaged through an aperture of the head of a cotter pin 3 and is secured therein by a horse-shoe keeper la. An eyelet 4, of stiff wire or rod, is bent at the end of its arms round the end'of the handle portion 1, and can rotate thereon through more than 180.

The cotter pin 3 carries, loosely engaged thereon, a sleeve 5 which is externally threaded to receive a locking wheel 6 threaded thereon. The lower end of the cotter pin 3 passes through an aperture in a saddle 7, and then through a washer 8 which provides a smooth bearing surface, and the two ends 9 of the'legs of the cotter pin are bent over to secure the members in assembly.

The saddle 7 has a bearing surface which is preferably curved to correspond to the curvature of the internal periphery of the hook of a conventional wire hanger 10. At each end of the curved bearing surface 7a, the saddle has upturned end stops or flanges 7b to prevent the hooks 10 from passing off laterally.

In operation, to engage a hanger 10 on the carrier, the wheel 6 is rotated to take it up to its highest position on the sleeve 5. The hook of the hanger 10 can then be seated onto the saddle 7, whereafter the wheel 6 is then rotated in the reverse direction until it reaches its lower position on the sleeve, in which position it abuts against the end stops or flanges 7b and prevents the hook of the hanger 10 from riding off the saddle. The saddle is broad enough to accommodate several hanger hooks in side by side position, as seen in FIG. 2.

The eyelet 4 can be utilised for supporting the hanger handle on a projection, such as a mounting hook or a nail, and particularly the kind of fixture which is conventionally provided in motor vehicles for hanging up articles of clothing so as to avoid creasing. When not in use, the eyelet can be folded down in either direction so as to lie closely against the wheel 6.

The C-shaped handle portion 1 can be rotated, with respect to the saddle 7, through 360 about the axis of the cotter pin 3, and two possible positions, respec tively at one to the other, are shown in full line and in chain-dotted line in FIG. l. The handle portion 1 can also be rotated through more than 180 about the axis of its end portion engaged through the aperture of the cotter pin 3, to enable it to be folded down into an out of the way position, e.g. when the device is being supported by the eyelet 4.

The device can readily be engaged, by the C-shaped handle portion 1, on any convenient structure or piece of furniture. Referring to FIG. 2, the member 11 could be the top of a door, or a horizontal rail of a chair or bedstead, and the device is engaged thereon by hooking the free end of the handle portion 1 over the top of the member 1 l, in which position it is held stably by the inturned tip 2. The hooks of the hangers can seat on the saddle 7 at positions which are slightly swung outwardly about the axis of the hook wire, as seen at 12, 12, l2, 12 in H6. 2, thereby to accommodate the thickness of the garments carried on the respective hangers. The end stops or flanges 7b do not extend far down the saddle, whereby this outward swinging movement is not impeded. Other hanger hooks may likewise be accommodated at 13, 13, 13, 13.

The device permits comfortable supporting, for holding, hanging or carrying by hand, of a plurality of loaded wire garment hangers. This device enables one to perform the task of holding hangers conveniently and comfortably because it eliminates the cutting into the fingers by the clothes hanger hooks. It makes it virtually impossible to drop a hanger, even when changing hands or removing a particular hanger from the others being held. All of the hangers are securely held by this device in complete comfort, because of the well designed handle. The comfortable handle swivels a full 360 in relation to the hangers, while at the same time folding down to save space, when desired. When attached to a loaded garment bag this carrier provides functional comfort at ones side, over the shoulder, on a closet hanger rod, on a hook, peg or over the top of a door.

I claim:

1. A carrier for wire garment hangers comprising:

i. a saddle which includes a support and end stop means, said support having a bearing surface adapted to receive a plurality of garment hanger hooks in side by side relationship, said stop means being disposed at each end of said bearing surface,

ii. an externallyscrewthreaded sleeve secured to said saddle,

iii. a pin engaged at one end centrally through said saddle and secured rotatably therein,

iv. an internally threaded wheel mounted on said sleeve and movable by rotation towards and away from said bearing surface, and

v. a C-shaped handle engaged by one of its ends through an aperture in the other end of said pin at a spacing above said bearing surface.

2. A carrier for wire garment hangers, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an eye loop journalled on said end of said C-shaped member by engagement of its arms, about said end, one at. each side of said pin.

3. A carrier for wire garment hangers, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other end of said C-shaped member is formed as an inturned tip for stable engagement of the C-shaped member over a horizontal structure. 

1. A carrier for wire garment hangers comprising: i. a saddle which includes a support and end stop means, said support having a bearing surface adapted to receive a plurality of garment hanger hooks in side by side relationship, said stop means being disposed at each end of said bearing surface, ii. an externally-screwthreaded sleeve secured to said saddle, iii. a pin engaged at one end centrally through said saddle and secured rotatably therein, iv. an internally threaded wheel mounted on said sleeve and movable by rotation towards and away from said bearing surface, and v. a C-shaped handle engaged by one of its ends through an aperture in the other end of said pin at a spacing above said bearing surface.
 2. A carrier for wire garment hangers, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an eye loop journalled on said end of said C-shaped member by engagement of its arms, about said end, one at each side of said pin.
 3. A carrier for wire garment hangers, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other end of said C-shaped member is formed as an inturned tip for stable engagement of the C-shaped member over a horizontal structure. 